TABLE 2.
Studies (n = 96) on Levels and Patterns of HIV Status Disclosure, January 1997–October 2008
| Population (Location) | No. of Studies | Disclosure to Anybody, % | Disclosure to Sexual Partners, % | Disclosure to Family, % | Disclosure to Friends, % |
| United States (n = 46) | |||||
| Adults14–23 | 10 | 82 | 56–81 (casual partners 25; main partners 74) | 70–87 (77–79 to mothers; 47–65 to fathers) | 26–88 |
| Parent to children24–34,ab | 11 | 30–75 to parents; 32–62 to children | |||
| Men35–36 | 2 | 53–60 | |||
| Women37–45 | 9 | 96–100 | 68–92 | 60–84 (66–81 to mothers; 25–51 to fathers) | 28–83 |
| MSM12,17,46–55,c | 12 | 80–97 | 54–80 (38-42 casual partners) | 50 (37–67 to mothers; 23–47 to fathers) | 85 |
| Injection drug users56,57 | 2 | 61–86 | |||
| Europe (n = 10) | |||||
| Adults (France,58–60 Russian Federation,61 Sweden,62 United Kingdom63–65) | 8 | 85–97 | 88–97 | 53–77 | 57–79 |
| Parent to children (Belgium66) | 1 | 10 to children | |||
| Women (United Kingdom67) | 1 | 81 | |||
| Sub-Saharan Africa (n = 26) | |||||
| Adults (Burkina Faso,68 Ethiopia,69 Kenya13,d, Nigeria,70 South Africa,71–74 Uganda,75 Tanzania,76,77 Zambia78) | 12 | 22–96 | 28–91 (65 by men; 73 by women) | 60–75 | 6–43 |
| Parent to children (South Africa,79 Uganda80) | 2 | 44–50e | |||
| Women (Burkina Faso,81,82 Côte d'Ivoire,83Kenya,84,85 Malawi,86 South Africa,87–89 Tanzania90–92) | 12 | 22–94 (46 HIV+; 97 HIV–) | 17–90 (64 HIV+; 80 HIV–) | 20–22 | 15 |
| Asia (n = 8) | |||||
| Adults (China,93 India94–96,f) | 4 | (35 involuntary; 65 voluntary) | 70 (100 by women; 65 by men) | 78 | 7 |
| Men (Taiwan97) | 1 | 72 | |||
| Women (India,98 Thailand99) | 2 | 37–84 | 34 family or friends | 34 family or friends | |
| Injection drug users (Vietnam100) | 1 | 0 (no respondents disclosed)e | |||
| Caribbean (n = 1) | |||||
| Adults (French Antilles/Guyana101) | 1 | 70 | 85 | 56 | |
| Reviews (n = 5) | |||||
| Adults7,8,102 | 3 | 68–97 | 22–86 (70-92 LIC; 44–67 HIC) | 61–86 | |
| Men4 | 1 | 67–88 | |||
| Women3 | 1 | 17–86 | |||
Note. HIC = high-income countries; LIC = low-income countries; MSM = men who have sex with men. For multiple studies on a country or population, the table presents the range of disclosure rates (minimum and maximum) reported in the studies.
Emlet also reported that adults aged 50 years or older disclosed their HIV status to those in their social networks less frequently than younger adults did.34
Two statistics are included: the percentage of parents who reported disclosing to children and the percentage of children who were told by their parents.
The study by Marks and Crepaz of HIV-positive men (homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual) is counted under MSM, who represent the majority of the study sample.12 Similarly, the Weinhardt et al. study of MSM, women, and heterosexual men is counted under MSM, who represent the majority of the study sample.17
Grinstead et al. covers Kenya, Tanzania, and Trinidad, but it is listed under Africa and counted once under Kenya.13
Includes data from studies with fewer than 25 participants.
In Mulye et al., patients’ spouses (23%) and relatives (2%–12%) knew patients’ HIV status after it was disclosed to patients in their presence.94